Jharsuguda POCSO Court Sentences Two to 20 Years for Minor’s Rape; Convict Revealed to Have AIDS

JHARSUGUDA: In a significant legal ruling regarding the sexual exploitation of a minor, the Special POCSO Court in Jharsuguda has sentenced two convicts to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each for the rape of a minor.The verdict was delivered by Additional District and Sessions Judge and Special POCSO Judge Puja Sarangi, who found both accused—identified as Prem Suna and Akash Sindhiria—guilty of the heinous crime. The offense occurred within the jurisdiction of the Orient Police Station in Jharsuguda district. Medical reports scrutinized during the trial revealed a highly disturbing detail: one of the accused, Prem Suna, is suffering from AIDS and was already afflicted with this terminal illness at the time he committed the crime, significantly multiplying the trauma and danger for the victim. Alongside the 20-year prison terms, Judge Puja Sarangi imposed a fine of ₹30,000 on each convict. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional one-year prison term for each. The decisive sentence followed a thorough trial during which the court heard the testimonies of 24 witnesses and meticulously examined crucial medical and scientific evidence.